It turns out that you can do rural spaces bad too. Rural sprawl!

https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States/Settlement-patterns

In reality, the industrial revolution and especially the Green Revolution have ended the rural economy and, with that, the rural society. These places will remain unsustainable, nonviable, slowly dying as people try to move away for better lives or as they remain stuck, dependent on some corrupt local politicians and leaders.

It’s a simple matter: once a couple of people with lots of cool machines and work vast tracts of land, the rest of the people in the area become useless.

Rural spaces are, currently, in a transient situation.

If the industrial economy collapses, then, yes, rural spaces will be great again.

I’m not trying to promote some false dichotomy, this is the economy and the people stuck in rural places are usually worse off - and that’s for a reason. They will never be better off in this context, it is not happening.

So, instead of trying to prop up a dying place, help the people migrate. End the subsidized fantasy and end the sunk cost loop.